Infant food &amp; debris catcher

ABSTRACT

An easily attachable, washable food, utensil and debris catcher device is easily fitted to all types of commercially available high chairs using a wide variety of attachment structures and operates to hold any small items or food spilled in the area of the child&#39;s seat and legs which would otherwise pass through to the floor. The catcher is designed to be attached to and detached from the high chair quickly and easily, yet can be attached for long periods of time especially where it is employed to catch dry objects such as toys or dry food such as whole peas or cereal. The catcher can be made from a wide range of material and can employ a wide range of attachment systems, including snap members, hook and loop members, hook and eyelet members, and latch members to name a few. Construction of the catcher is illustrated as well as variations in the construction which may enable the shape of the deployed catcher to be altered as well as one and two ply versions.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a safe, convenient, easy to attach and remove structure and method for capture and disposal of food and debris dropped by an infant from a seating structure resulting in reduced cleanup for child care givers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Children are typically seated in high chairs during mealtime for a variety of reasons. Advantages include mealtime socialization, the ability to interact with the child at seated level, the ability to reach and help the child at mealtime, and the ability to keep the child orderly. One of the main purposes of the use of a high chair is to transition from having the parent feed the child to having the child feed himself/herself. Children are either fed or allowed to feed themselves using a plate of food placed on a table tray or other forward member attached to nearly all high chairs.

Regardless of the extent to which training has occurred, nearly any interaction by the child will result in food, utensil and food container spillage. Food dropped, especially with younger children, typically falls down his or her chest, between or to the side of the child's legs and onto the floor. Consequently, there is a sticky, mushy mess on the floor that must be cleaned.

Some of the devices in use to prevent spillage include a high chair catch attachment as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,432 to Davis as a plurality of additional trays mounted to either side of a high chair to present some probability of retaining debris before it hits the floor. Given that the probability stopping dropped food is proportional to the distance from the high chair as well as the area taken occupied by the trays, the device of Davis has a small probability, about 10% to capture dropped food and items. Further, the trays protruding from the sides of the high chair are easy for adults to trip over and run into resulting in injury.

Another device commonly used to protect the floor area adjacent the high chair is a flexible sheet that is placed directly on the floor and upon which the high chair is placed, little more than a plastic paint drop cloth. This type of device has several disadvantages. Disposability results in significant waste for a large sheet, whereas cleaning the sheet may be as difficult as cleaning food from the floor. This device cannot easily move with the high chair to another location.

Another device is illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 4848834 to Linski as a specialized structure for used with a chair having no legs and which attaches to the side of a professional sturdily supported restaurant table. Linski provides a drape which extends from underneath the table at a point about 3 feet from the edge and which extends underneath and attaches at the back of the chair attached to the table. This arrangement requires a very sturdy, very heavy table, and takes advantage of the fact that such a specialized table-chair lacks legs and in fact, the chair becomes part of the table.

What is needed is a device which is suitable for commonly commercially available high chairs which will prevent the major portion of food spillage, namely that which falls down the child's chest and legs. The needed device should be easily usable and either washable or disposable. It should be able to work in conjunction with any commercially available high chair.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An easily attachable, washable food, utensil and debris catcher device (hereinafter referred to simply as “catcher”) is easily fitted to all types of commercially available high chairs using a wide variety of attachment structures. The catcher device catches and holds any small items or food spilled in the area of the child's seat and legs. The catcher is designed to be attached to and detached from the high chair quickly and easily, yet can be attached for long periods of time especially where it is employed to catch dry objects such as toys or dry food such as whole peas or cereal.

The catcher may preferably have attachment points to the underside of the high chair tray, or other forward member, as well as to the high chair tray support, including horizontal and vertical parts of the high chair arms. The catcher has a lower structure which may be preferably engaged about a lower structure on the high chair such as a foot rest or other convenient structure the high chair may have. Such lower engagement may be accomplished through a contractible urged edge or some other engagement structure which may or may not be elastically urged. The catcher may have internal structures which range from additional areas of material to seams to stiffening members where it is desired to promote a given shape.

In normal use, the catcher can be detached from both sides of the high chair with two hands and brought downwardly slightly to be removed from underneath the foot support in a way that leaves the bottom most portion of the catcher lower than the front or rear edges. Debris supported by the catcher can be dumped, the catcher can be optionally turned inside out to reveal the contents and presence of any adhered materials. The catcher can then either be replaced onto the high chair, or washed in a conventional washing machine or hand washed.

The catcher is compact and easily rinsed by hand and can be made of such thin material that it is unnecessary to take special procedures to dry it. In most instances it is not necessary to have to wait for it to dry before reattaching it to the highchair.

The catcher of the invention is particularly ideal for children who are between the ages of five and twelve months, especially when they are able to pick up food and place it in their mouths, but haven't started to mischievously throw the food off the sides of the highchair. It is believed that no structure or method can deliver the convenience, safety, and flexibility to cure the spillage of food in a limited structural manner as can the catcher of the present invention.

The catcher may be of a “rip stop nylon” material. It may be water impervious and as lightweight as possible. Such material will enable the catcher constructed to not only be lightweight, but also washable and to dry quickly. The catcher, when stretched flat approximates a half moon in shape. The construction of one embodiment of the catcher may preferably start with a circle of material, and then folded to a two ply semi circle. Elastic may be attached to operate within or adjacent the fold to cause it to contract. Attachment members may be attached at one or more points adjacent the curved periphery for attachment to corresponding attachment areas on the high chair, such as under the tray, adjacent the arms or arm supports. “Darts” or wedge shaped cutouts may occur along the periphery in order to shorten its radial extent, eliminate the need or tendency to form pleats or open gaps in the upper portion when placed against the tray, or generally to assist in forming a convex front profile. The darts may be adjusted in angular width and depth to achieve the convex shape (viewed from the front of the high chair and side profile of the high chair. In terms of the filled-out concave shape of the catcher as it is attached to a high chair, the darts not only eliminate folds which might be formed upon a snug fit to the high chair tray, but also generally help to form the side edges of the concave shape and define the transition from the front of the catcher to its sides. In essence, the darts eliminate the need for thick pleats at the front top of the catcher and enable the front top to be so lightweight as to be almost self supporting, although additional attachment members may be present. The shape of the darts can be modified to give shape effects to the convex front of the catcher once it is in place.

Attachment may be had with interlocking hook-like and felt-like members with one of the set of members, preferably the hook-like members attached to the high chair, and the felt like members attached to the catcher so that upon washing the felt-like members do not catch on other articles being washed. Other attachment mechanisms can be used including hook and eyelet, snap, magnetic, pocket and insert, and more. Where attachment members are complementary, it is a matter of choice as to which of the complementary attachment members is attached to the catcher and which are anchored to the high chair.

Ideally, the catcher may have a minimum of one and preferably two or more pairs of generally symmetrically oppositely located attachment members. In this configuration, the more forward pair of attachment member attach to the high chair food tray at forward most points adjacent the “turn” of the edges of the catcher toward each other to form the front panel. A rearward most pair of attachment members provide rearward most attachment locations holding up the catcher adjacent and high with respect to the location of the legs of the child. These rearward most attachment points help hold a continuation of the rearward extent of the upper part of the catcher, and also provide force and support against the lowermost portion of the catcher which may be elastically urged against the underside of the foot support, if present.

It is preferred that the high chair have at least a partially downwardly and partially forwardly disposed portion of the front seat which may be a foot support or may be a leg guide. In modern high chairs, the seat may be molded to comfortably conform to the child's body and provide a leg guide integral with the seat to gently guide most of the child's body and shield it from any sharp edges or other undesirable surfaces. As a result, most modern high chairs have a leg guide possibly terminating in a forward extending foot support. The ability of the catcher to engage some rearward portion of the leg guide enables the catcher to be used with very little interaction with the child. In essence, the child will only be able to make contact with the catcher by stretching his or her legs to the side near the support points, with the catcher providing a significantly spaced forward enveloping area which many children may not be able to contact.

In the configuration described, the catcher is able to be used with minimum disruption or distraction of the child and very little ability of the child to remove the catcher. Further, the catcher is such that it has a broad front area to support patterns, colors, and promotional logos and names.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention, its configuration, construction, and operation will be best further described in the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a plan view looking directly onto an expanse of material which is marked with potential cutting lines for making the expanse of material oval and marked with dart cutting lines;

FIG. 2 is a plan view similar to that seen in FIG. 1 where the expanse of material has been cut to an oval shape and folded over, sewn to form an elastic capture channel and illustrating the dart cutting lines of the upper half of the expanse of material similar to that seen in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a plan view approximating a shape which results after removal of dart material and shown where the catch is on a flat surface and in relaxed position;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 and illustrates the example of a two ply catcher which has a main generally straight edge formed by the folding over of two areas of material and stitched to capture an elastic cord within the fold bounded by the stitch;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to that seen in FIG. 4 and illustrates the example of a single ply catcher which may have an edge folded and stitched to prevent fraying and having an elastic band stitched adjacent the protective fold;

FIG. 6 is a side plan view of a form fitting high chair before attachment of the catcher of the invention, and illustrating the placement of anchoring members in anticipation of attachment of the catcher;

FIG. 7 is a side plan view of a form fitting high chair after attachment of the debris catcher of the invention utilizing the anchoring members seen in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a side sectional view taken from a viewpoint similar to that for FIG. 7 and illustrates the path of travel and collection of food, debris and utensils in the catcher.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The description, construction and operation of the catcher of the invention will be best illustrated by beginning with the construction of the catcher. An expanse of material 21 is provided which may be cut to a circular shape or to an oval shape. Material 21 may preferably be made from polyurethane having a thickness of perhaps 3 mils. An alternative set of cutting lines are seen as cutting line 23 which may preferably form a blended radius for reduction of the effective radius by about 75% and a cutting line 25 which may preferably form a blended radius for reduction of the effective radius by about 83%.

A pair of dart cutting lines 31 and 33 and a pair of dart cutting lines 35 and 37 are shown on the upper half of the expanse of material 21. A pair of dart cutting lines 41 and 43 and a pair of dart cutting lines 45 and 47 are shown on the lower half of the expanse of material 21.

The expanse of material can be any size, but may have a maximum radius of about sixty inches down to about forty inches, but for certain models of high chairs the maximum radius may preferably be about forty eight inches. The dart cut lines 31, 33, 35, 37, 41, 43, 45 and 47 can be varied greatly in both length, angle of separation and angle with respect to the effective center of the expanse of material 21. Further, the darts may be slightly offset. The cut lines 33 & 35 may be farther from each other than the cuts lines 43 and 45. As will be shown this will provide for some offsets of the resulting darts in the resulting two ply catcher.

Referring to FIG. 2, the expanse of material 21 of FIG. 1 is shown as having been made more oval by cutting along cutting line 25, and folded in half. The fold creates a folded edge 51 which has a length equivalent to the maximum diameter seen in FIG. 1. Adjacent and spaced apart from the folded edge 51 is a continuous stitch 53 which may preferably form an internal channel for supporting a stretched length of elastic (not shown in FIG. 2. In the alternative, the shape seen in FIG. 2 may be provided a single ply thickness of material with stitching 53 used to stitch a length of stretched elastic near an upper edge (rather than fold 52). The use of a folded, two-ply structure seen in FIG. 2 will result in a better exterior finish with resulting darts to have cut edges (for example cutting lines 31 and 33 joined together) sewn on the inside with the cut edges also inside. The opposing set of cutting lines 41 and 43 would similarly be located on the inside, but opposite and slightly offset from a resulting dart formed by the cutting lines 31 and 33.

Thus, a two-ply material would actually involve forming four darts, two on each side of the material. The two-ply material also allows the formed darts to have stitch lines which are internal for a better finished look, as well as having internally protruding seems offset from each other, which can also contribute to the overall shape of the resulting catcher.

In FIG. 2, the material between pair of dart cutting lines 31 and 33 and the material between pair of dart cutting lines 35 and 37 are to be removed at removal boundaries 55. The removal boundaries 55 represent a connection between the pair of dart cutting lines 31 and 33 and pair of dart cutting lines 35 and 37 and are not otherwise specified. The shape of the removal boundary will determine the bulk and outward appearance of the resulting dart when the pairs of dart cutting lines 31 and 33 and 35 and 37 are brought together. The removal boundaries 55 can be straight, or more concave or angled at a greater angle that the dart cutting lines 31 and 33 and 35 and 37. Forming the removal boundaries 55 as angle concave will reduce the pleat effect.

Referring to FIG. 3, a plan view is shown in which the pair of dart cutting lines 31 and 33 have been brought together to form a dart 61 having a main seam length portion 63 and tapering into a pleat portion 65. Likewise, the pair of dart cutting lines 35 and 37 have been brought together to form a dart 71 having a main seam length portion 73 and tapering into a pleat portion 75. The main seam length portions 63 and 73 represent one way of transitioning from an state where the material is joined from a separation to where the material flows into a sturdy pleat.

The view of FIG. 3 shows the two distal portions of folded edge 51 as being angled with respect to a central portion to form a finished catcher 81. However, the view of FIG. 3 is merely a representation of the effect of the darts 61 and 71 on the overall shape (as such folded edge 51 is actually made to curve or equivalent). In reality the darts 61 and 71 form a three dimensional shape but for the fact that the expanse of material 21 is left to create undulating folds when laid flat which are not shown because of their unimportance in the flat state and because they randomly occur.

With respect to the darts 61 and 71, (as well as the two darts which are associated with cutting lines 31 & 33 and 35 & 37), the angle of the darts 61 and 71 with regard to the middle of the folded edge 51, the depth of darts 61 and 71, and the width of material taken out to form the darts 61 and 71 will control the three dimensionality of the resulting catcher 81, especially the apparent shape when it is engaged to a high chair (as will be shown).

Also seen in FIG. 3 is a series of fasteners including a first pair of oppositely located fasteners 85 which are located at or near the distal ends of the folded edge 51, and a second pair of oppositely located fasteners 87 which may be either spaced apart from, adjacent to, or continuous (especially where fasteners 87 and fasteners 85 are hook and loop members),is shown. An optional center fastener 89 is located along a curved edge 91 which is generally opposite, but terminating adjacent to the ends of folded edge 51. Thus fasteners 87 and 89 can occupy much more length along the curved edge 91, and that fasteners 85 can occupy much more length along folded edge 51, especially where a continuous or intermittent engagement fastener is used. It is expected that the catcher 81 will be made with one complementary member of a complementary pair of fasteners already attached to the catcher 81 and that the other of the complementary pair will be provided for adhesive or glued attachment to the specific structures from which the catcher 81 will depend for support. Fasteners 85, 87, and 89 may include hook and loop, snap, magnetic, hook and eyelet, tab and slot or simple hook, or any other structure which will enable attachment to child seating, such as high chairs.

As will be shown the periphery which is generally co-extensive with the edge 51 will provide a force component to draw the center of the edge 51 underneath a either a foot support or some other stable anchoring members to enable the catcher to form a stable pocket. As a result, the number and availability of the fasteners along edge 51 can be used to provide further anchoring force, and can help control the catcher 81 more completely if desired.

Conversely, a curved edge 91 will be in a more upwardly directed position and will attach adjacent the tray of a high chair. As will be shown, the material removed which shortens the radius, as well as the material removed for the darts 61 and 71 help take up the excess material to insure a good fit about a high chair tray.

FIG. 3 also illustrates several optional sets of ties 93 which may be utilized where a high chair has an insufficient leg support about which to form a pocket. The ties 93 can assist the generally central area of the edge 51 to be attached to form a debris catching pocket, where a high chair lacks leg supports about which the edge 51 may be elastically looped.

Referring to FIG. 4, a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 illustrates in the example of a two ply catcher 81 the entrapment of an elastic member 95, which may be an elastic rope or elastic band. The main generally straight edge 51 Seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 is seen to be part of a capture tube formed by the folding over of two areas of material and stitched with stitch 53 to capture the elastic cord 95 within the fold bounded by the stitch 53. In the embodiment seen in FIG. 3, the elastic cord 95 will be stitched at its opposite ends, typically at, along with, or near the first pair of oppositely located fasteners 85 to enable the first pair of oppositely located fasteners 85 to have a more direct connection with the elastic cord 95.

Referring to FIG. 5, a view similar to that seen in FIG. 4 illustrates the example of a single ply catcher which may have the edge 51 folded and stitched to prevent fraying, but also having an elastic band 97 continuously stitched adjacent the protective fold of edge 51. The continuous stitching exposes the elastic band 97, but as will be seen, one side of the catcher 81 will oppose the underside of a high chair and thus the elastic band 97 will be predominantly hidden during use.

Referring to FIG. 6, an example of a commercially available high chair 101 is seen. In this particular model, a main back support member 103 is continuous with a rear set of legs 105. A pair of front leg members 107 are provided, one of which is shown broken away so that it will not obscure the other important members of the high chair 101. Not all high chairs have the front legs depend from a rear support, but such a design helps to keep front legs away from attachment points and mechanisms the child might be able to reach.

Attached to the main support member 103 are arm rails 109 which support a tray bracket 111. The arm rails 109 and main support member 103 may have attached or be formed with a form fitting seat 113 which may extend to and be formed integrally with a guided leg and foot support 115.

The tray bracket 111 typically includes a mechanism for supporting a tray 117, or other high chair 101 forward and preferably upper member. The tray bracket 111 typically enables the tray to be slid forward or rearward and in some cases removed altogether. The design theme for most modern high chairs is that the child should be completely isolated from the operation mechanism. Thus, the tray 117 extends significantly beyond the bracket 111. Given the form fitting seat 113 and the fact that the bracket 111 mechanical features are on the outside and underneath the tray, the child is isolated from the mechanism and can contact only smooth surfaces. The views of the form fitting seat 113 and the guided leg and foot support 115 are exterior views of structure which continuously surround the child and do not illustrate the full degree to which the child is isolated from the chair mechanism.

The structures on any given high chair can provide a number of places for attachment of members by which the fasteners 85 and 87 may be attached. It should be noted that the food & debris catcher 81 is very lightweight and it will take very little structural dependence in order to be fully supported. A first anchoring attachment member 121 is seen as supported by the tray bracket 111. The first anchoring attachment member 121 will typically engage the fastener 85 as the upper and rearward most point of attachment for the catcher 81. A second anchoring attachment member 123 is seen in phantom and as supported underneath the tray 117 by any structural element. The second anchoring attachment member 123 will typically engage the fastener 87 to hold up the front of the catcher 81. As will be shown, the overwhelming bulk of the force will be held by the first anchoring attachment member 121 and the fastener 85 because of the pulling stress due to an elastic member associated with the edge 51. The portion of the catcher 81 at the curved edge 91 need only hold up the weight of the material adjacent the curved edge 91 and the fasteners 87 which are typically spaced apart are usually sufficient.

Referring to FIG. 7, a side view similar to that of FIG. 6 is shown, but where the catcher 81 has been attached. The attachment process can be started from either side of the high chair 101 by orienting the catcher 81 with its fastener 85 toward the first anchoring attachment member 121 and attaching it. The folded edge 51 of the catcher 81 is brought underneath the guided leg and foot support 115 to and around the other side so that the other fastener 85 can be pulled up to engage an oppositely located first anchoring attachment member 121, while pulling the folded edge 51 against the force of an internal elastic member (not yet shown).

The continuous stitch 53 seen in FIG. 7 gives an idea of the extent to which the folded edge 51 seeks the path of least length as the two fasteners 85 are oppositely stretched apart to their associated first anchoring attachment members 121. Note that the guided leg and foot support 115 is at least partial enveloped between the edge 51 and the upper curved edge 91 which is shown as being loosely near the bottom front edge of the tray 117. To operate as a catcher, is it only necessary that some minimum lower curvature be provided at or near a vicinity in which food and debris may fall. The guided leg and foot support 115 is shown as longer than may be available on some models of high chair. Other high chairs may have some obstruction a few inches upward from the lower rear area of the guided leg and foot support 115, while others will have an abbreviated length guided leg and foot support 115 which may terminate before forming a foot support which is seen with respect to the high chair 101 of FIGS. 4 and 5. A dart 125 is seen on the outside of the catcher 81 which was associated with dart cutting lines 41 and 43.

Referring to FIG. 8 a sectional view taken through the center of the high chair 101 seen in FIG. 7 illustrates further details of the catcher 81 and details of construction and attachment. Since the section is taken through the center of the high chair 101 with the catcher 81 in place, the leg 107 of the far side is not be shown in broken form as it does not obscure relevant details of the drawing.

A smooth molded formfitting seat bottom and surface 129 is shown leading to a smooth form fitting lateral side and back surface 131 of the guided leg and foot support 115. The transition between the bottom of the seat bottom and surface 129 and the back of lateral side and back surface 131 corresponds to area where the child's knee would bend. The seat bottom and surface 129 forms a natural funnel forward to the transition to the form fitting lateral side and back surface 131 with any food or debris able to escape to the floor upon which the high chair 101 is sitting only forward of the transition.

However, because the catcher 81 is in place, a particle 133 of food or debris or a utensil 135 has no placed to go but into the bottom of the catcher 81, where such particles 133 collect for later disposal. Other details seen are the structural tray members 137 which are usually extensive and accessible from underneath the tray 117. Any available structure can be used to attach the second anchoring attachment member 123 to hold up the front of the catcher 81. Also seen is dart 71 on the inside of the catcher 81.

When it is desired to dump the particles 133, the user merely detaches the located fasteners 87 (since the front of the catcher will not likely fall forward with fasteners 85 still attached) and then simultaneously detach the fasteners 85 while bringing the whole catcher 81 low enough so that edge 51 (which remains significantly high above the lowest part of the catcher 81 to prevent spillage of the particles 133) clear the underneath portion of the guided leg and foot support 115 as it is brought forward. The catcher 81 can be then dumped into a receptacle and washed, if desired.

While the present invention has been described in terms of a system and method for providing controllable capture of items dropped with respect to a high chair, one skilled in the art will realize that the structure and techniques of the present invention can be applied to many structures, including any structure or technique where an efficient capture and isolation of food, objects, utensils can be had with respect to a furniture object or child seat.

Although the invention has been derived with reference to particular illustrative embodiments thereof, many changes and modifications of the invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, included within the patent warranted hereon are all such changes and modifications as may reasonably and properly be included within the scope of this contribution to the art. 

1. A catcher for use with a seat structure comprising: an expanse of material having a first edge having a first end and a second end, and a second edge having a first end meeting said first end of said first edge and a second end meeting at said second end of said first edge; a first attachment member attached to said expanse of material adjacent said first end of said first edge; a second attachment member attached to said expanse of material adjacent said second end of said first edge, said first and second attachment members for attachment to lateral sides of a seat structure to catch debris passing through said seat structure.
 2. The catcher as recited in claim 1 wherein said second edge is at least partially curved.
 3. The catcher as recited in claim 2 wherein said partial curvature of said second edge is interrupted by at least one dart resulting from removal of a portion of said expanse of material.
 4. The catcher as recited in claim 3 wherein said dart is formed by removal of material along angled cutting lines.
 5. The catcher as recited in claim 1 where said first edge bears force from opposing displacement of said first and second attachment members with respect to each other.
 6. The catcher as recited in claim 1 where said expanse of material is two ply and wherein said first edge is formed by folding.
 7. The catcher as recited in claim 1 and further comprising an elastic member having first and second ends associated with said first and second attachment members, respectively.
 8. The catcher as recited in claim 7 wherein said elastic member is attached to said expanse of material along said first edge.
 9. The catcher as recited in claim 7 where said expanse of material is two ply and wherein said first edge is formed by folding and wherein said elastic member extends within said fold.
 10. The catcher as recited in claim 9 wherein said fold is closed by an enveloping stitch to form a tube and wherein said elastic member can move axially within said tube.
 11. The catcher as recited in claim 1 wherein said first and second attachment members are at least one of hook and loop fasteners.
 12. The catcher as recited in claim 1 wherein said first and second attachment members are at least one of first and second complementary snap members.
 13. The catcher as recited in claim 1 and further comprising at least a third attachment member attached to said expanse of material along said second edge and spaced apart from said first and said second attachment members for supporting said second edge adjacent a forward member of said seat structure. 